He continued: "We didn't see who did it, but it was obvious that someone in the gang had shot him. It was terrifying to see.

"We jumped out of the shack and into the water as we thought they were coming for us next, but a member of the gang came and put us back in there with Ian for the rest of the day."

'Faith kept them going'

Dr Donovan, 57, and his 58-year-old wife Shirley, founded medical charity New Foundations in 2003 and said it was their faith that kept them going after early setbacks, including severe illness and thefts.

During their kidnapping, the group kept their spirits up by playing a version of BBC Radio 4 quiz The Unbelievable Truth, where contestants have to tell fact from fiction.

The captives were freed after the kidnappers told them a ransom had been paid, and were met by two SUVs.